Take a moment to think about what type of planet you want to create. Should it feel large or small? What type of biome does it have? Are there any particular traits that you’d want to convey?

Once you have these things outlined, collect different satellite photos and clean them up using the techniques Gabriel demonstrated. You will combine these together later to become your planet’s surface texture.

First, compile your planet texture by merging the various images you prepped in the previous homework. Then slowly add in the various details needed for the type of planet you want to create. Have fun and experiment!

Create your own moon in 2D. This can be added to your existing planet scene, or it can be an image of its own.

For extra credit, try adding lava, cracks, or other effects, like Gabriel showed at the end of his demo!

Create a planet using 3D techniques. For the texture, you can either adapt the planet surface texture you created previously for 2D, or you can create an entirely new texture.

Consider other 3D-specific factors as well, such as whether you want to have a 1x1 or 2x1 ratio, and whether or not the texture should be seamless. These are good practice when creating planets that are viewable from multiple angles!

Create city lights to fit onto one of your planets, using one of the techniques Gabriel laid out during the lesson.

Create your own Earth-like planet, using the techniques Gabriel showed in this chapter. As mentioned earlier, an Earth-like planet will likely present a greater challenge than other planet types, because viewers are more familiar with the look of the Earth. Take your time and have fun with it!